Last December, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s resident lion, Chadwick, died at 21 years old. An African lion born in the Indianapolis zoo in 1998, Chadwick came to our seaside hamlet in 2003, where he lived with his mate, Gingerbread, for 14 years and sired two cubs.
Soon, the zoo will again be home to a new pair of lions. “We’re bursting with ‘pride’ to welcome these new lions to Santa Barbara,” said Rich Block, president/CEO of the zoo in a prepared statement. “We know these new additions will bring so much joy and happiness to our community.” As the facility nears a reopening date, the zoo will share new information about the big cats, as well as lion facts and trivia on its social media channels, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Folks interested in helping the zoo during its closure can become African lion Foster Feeders. See sbzoo.org.